General (r) to hear the restoration of the Colombian Palace of Justice

Today the Judicial Special Authority for Peace (JEP) will begin one hearing with retired General Jesus Armando Arias regarding the events that occurred during the restoration of the Palace of Justice in 1985.

According to a statement issued by the JEP, the session will be of a dialogue nature and will involve the victims of the events that occurred in the M-19 attack and the subsequent seizure of the Palace of Justice by the General Forces.

Once the hearing is over, the JEP’s Legal Positions Definition Chamber will evaluate the truth contributions made by Arias Cabrales and will determine whether those contributions are sufficient to maintain his filing and advance the transitional benefits process in this jurisdiction.

On Wednesday, November 6, 1985, the April 19 Movement (M-19) began occupying the Palace of Justice, when about 35 fighters entered the building as part of the operation called “Antonio Nariño for Human Rights.” .

With this action, the combatants sought to depose President Belisario Betancourt for failing to keep promises of peace and agreements signed in Hubo, Corinto and Medellín a year before the seizure of power.

Men from the Presidential Guard Battalion responded to the takeover and then began the so-called military restoration of the armed forces.

At 5:30 pm a fire broke out and the confrontation between the M-19 and the Army continued until 02:00 am on November 7.

The survivors left in greater numbers on the afternoon of the first day, and others on the seventh. Many managed to survive and others were taken to La Casa del Florero, which was used by state agents as an “advance command post”.

Once the recovery was completed, the military authorities took charge of the scene, removed all the bodies to the first floor, stripped them of their clothing and personal belongings and washed them to remove evidence of the facts.

Some of the bodies were not even on the premises, were found in mass graves or other people’s graves or it is not yet known what happened to them, according to the Interchurch Justice and Peace Commission.

In 2011, General Arias was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the disappearance of several hostages who left the Palace of Justice alive and for Irma Franco’s guerrilla war.

In May 2020, he was released on probation after being brought to the Special Judicial Authority for Peace.